1Corinthians 1:10 - 17 The Gospel of I or the Gospel of Christ Crucified?
One of the letters primary concerns in the church at Corinth is their own spiritual pride & immaturity, it had led them to value outward appearance, eloquence of rhetoric, the wisdom of words over and above the genuine work of the Spirit of God.
V10 Paul begins by appealing to them to all agree, all in the Name of Jesus Christ . In the last nine verse His name had been mention and verse ten is no different (11th mention ) This acts as a bridge to the subject matter under the Grace of God which has drawn them together that they unite . But Jesus Christ has decreased in this fellowship and been replaced with the personal pronoun ‘I’.
He appeals that there would be no divisions amongst them to be united in the same mind and the same judgement.
V11-17 Paul gives them a description of the problem as reported to him by Chloe’s people. (Supporters, visitors to Corinth unknown firstly this isn’t Gossip, as they put their name to the report). But what were not prepared to say to someone face we shouldn’t be saying it to others, without identifying ourselves to those were speaking about.
v11 He speaks of quarrels amongst them in church. In V12 he details that the Corinthians have started to exhibit arrogant devotion to particular itinerant Christian preachers, who they had aligned themselves too.
To draw the believers at Corinth to their senses he poses three questions
V13 is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for You? Or were you baptised in the name of Paul?
Is Christ Divided? ‘I follow Christ’ Paul is saying can Christ actually be divided in His Church of course not but party agendas had caused this split.
Was Paul crucified for You? Paul is calling them to take their eyes away from following men, replacing Christ with men, After all it wasn’t Paul, Apollos or Cephas who was crucified for you but Christ, no-one else.
Or were Baptised in the name of Paul? Again Paul is saying the gospel is not about holding credence to who baptised You, is of no significance, for you were baptised in the name of Jesus Christ not in the Baptisers name. Paul is calling them to think about the logical conclusion of their antics.
1. The problem the Gospel of ‘I’ v13 - 17
V14-17 So these divisions were as a result of who had baptised them;
Some said, “I follow Paul” - who had planted the Church yet he had only gone on to baptise two individuals in Corinth, who he mentions by name Crispus & Gaius v14 & later he mentions the household of Stephanas v16 beyond that he cannot remember, (Baptising people is not paramount to Him).
As we see from v17 Pauls apostolic commission was not to baptise, but to preach the gospel. It’s likely that after Paul had left Corinth he was being maligned by those puffed up with spiritual pride, maybe even a particular group. Paul wasn’t called to be a public speaker with great rhetoric & wisdom ( Greco Roman world was awash with) although he was a great communicator, but to have done that it would be to put his trust in man.
Paul was called by God as an Apostle ( 1:1, 9:1-2) to proclaim the gospel his trust was not in his own ability but in the gospel (Rom 1:16), he knew the preaching of the gospel was folly to those who are perishing but to those who are being saved it is the power of God v18. Others baptised, but his thrust was to exalt Christ, to evangelise and in so doing, it was never about Him but Christ.
Others said, “I follow Apollo’s” - Paul new well, they had meet at Ephesus, he had only known the Baptism of John until (Acts 18:24-25) So whilst in Ephesus Priscilla & Aquilia taught him the way more adequately. He was a great communicator of the gospel & competent in the Scriptures ( Acts 18:24) Paul had urged him to return to Corinth (16:12) & when Paul had left it appear Apollo’s carried on with the work at Corinth (Acts 18:24-19:1). This would also concur with Paul’s statement in (1Cor 3:6) I planted , Apollo’s watered, in Gospel ministry , but God gave the growth.
A number said, “ I follow Cephas” - is Aramaic equivalent to Peter and both names refer to Peter the Apostle as Paul uses the Aramic equivalent later in his letter also (1Cor 15:5) Cephas had at some point travelled to Corinth with his wife (1Cor 7:8). Whether he had or not their appears possibly a Jewish contingency who have nailed their colour to the flag of Cephas. It strange isn’t it but we as humans like to put ourselves in groupings don’t we, whether in politics, religion,class, we seem to align ourselves to people and to causes.
Finally others said, “I follow Christ” - Others thought they were above all earthly leaders with the slogan I follow Christ. We don’t follow any leaders, were above that we go direct to Christ, Of course we all should follow Christ, but not at the expense of our leaders, who God has placed in His Church to lead it but as leaders follow the example of Christ so we should follow them Paul says, 1Cor 11:1 be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. These individuals were no doubt pushing to one side the Church leaders, degrading Paul, Apollo’s & Cephas we follow none of them we follow Christ, these guys had their own pseudo spiritual utterances of wisdom, they were great rhetoricians.
1a. Beware of Creating idols our of Christian communicators
This is the all about me Church ..... where everyone is speaking about who they follow ..... Corinth was becoming an idols factory - following itinerant preachers, church leaders & the super spiritual Ones. This wasn’t necessary the fault of Apollos, Cephas or Paul, but the believers themselves as their spiritual immaturity had lead them to create a 1st century idols factory. And what happened to Corinth can so easily happen today to us as Christians not just in the world where we see footballers, celebrities, actors & musician idolised.
Is it possible today that we could be guilty of creating unnecessary idols of Itinerant Christian communicators, upon the TV’s, in our pulpits, those who speak in big auditoriums, sold masses of books, claim amazing gifts & powers could we be guilty of saying I follow ...........? (If so we may have just created a present day idol, which will cause division in the Church) Which point us away from Christ and reshape our thinking to put our trust in Individuals & encourage the ego ‘I’.
1b. Why are they creating idols out of Christian communicators
In particular they had got fixated on the externals, here was baptism & the Baptiser & spiritual utterance of wisdom and knowledge, what is true in Corinth is true in the 21st century bringing with it division in the Church. It should not be.....
The problem is not always the necessary the Christian communicators fault per se (teaching false doctrine) but here the problem lies with the hearers who have elevated individuals ( I think of Paul , Apollo’s Cephas ), its actual the spiritual immaturity of those who have aligned themselves to theses gifted communicators, for differing reasons. Who are not seen as servant leaders to Christ, but become gods in the eye of the beholder.
Spiritual immaturity - 1Cor 3:1-3 Paul says to those who are acting this way are not spiritual, but acting in the flesh, infants, growing inadequately, they show forth symptoms of jealousy, strife, behaving worldly as mere humans. This spiritual immaturity brought about, the divisions (schismata - rents, tears in the fellowship) & not unity in Corinth.
• They have become spiritual junkies, who would rob their own church of unity in order to get a regular fix from their own particular spiritual dealers denouncing and maligning others in the process.
This really does contradict the teaching of Jesus who said John 13:35 that all people would know we are his disciples, as we have love for one another ( there was no love lost in Corinth) Jesus prayed John 17:21 that His Church would be One to Show before a watching world the Oneness of God between the Father & Son.
He appeals too v10 by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they all of you agree. Paul wants them to grow up...... to become spiritual mature believers.
1b. Realise all Christian communicators are but servants
Turn with me to 1Cor 3:4-9 Paul wants them to know that all Leaders are all simply God’s servants, fellow workers. It’s God who makes things grow, its God who receives the Glory Its God who should have the desires of our hearts, its God whom our love should be poured out towards, its God whom we should worship and adore, not the communicator neither the ordinance itself .
But as our leaders set before us the godly example of Christ and his teaching then we should imitate it as they imitate Christ. 1Cor 11:1 even when at times they come before us with things we naturally in the flesh want to rebel against. Our leaders should reflect Christ we should have the mind of Christ, we must decrease and the Lord Jesus increase in each of us.
Jesus said, John 13:16 , No servant is Above his master. Paul defined himself as a Slave to Christ Rom 1:1 Paul a Servant of Christ Jesus. Doulos - a Slave to Jesus Christ.
2. The remedy is to preach the gospel of Christ crucified v17 -18
Paul shares with them here the remedy for this problem is the simple preaching of the gospel of Christ crucified. That was Paul Apostolic calling (1 Cor 1:1) Baptism won’t save anyone, only the gospel can save; Paul was being much aligned from those with great rhetoric and wisdom, but Paul didn’t come to them with eloquent speech or great rhetoric, but with the simple preaching of the cross with the demonstration of the Holy Spirits power v18. Which is folly to those who perishing but to those who are being saved it is the power of God.
1Cor 2:1-2 And I , when I came to you brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
It was the preaching of the Gospel which had caused these people to turn to the living God in repentance & faith and it would be the gospel of Christ crucified, by Gods servants which would keep these people from turning away to the false Gospel of I .
Fix your eyes upon Jesus, no – other.
Amen
